We all met up around 4pm and followed Shilps to Siena.
We then had a guided tour of the Duomo and the streets of the city by a guide who was very enthusiastic and very interesting. Once the guided tour was over Shilpa left us to our own devices and, true to form we headed to a bar and then to a very nice restaurant that was on the 'recommended' that Shilpa had provided. We each ordered soaraxtr meals from the menu and got to Tate each others, which was nice. A couple of the dishes were similar to ones that we have made during the week and the consensus was that ours were better.
After eating we braved the drive home and after a shaky start trying to find the expressway we made it back to the apartments.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
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Thursday, May 31, 2007
Six go walking
This morning we all went for a walk into the Tuscan countryside and finished off with a picnic.
The weather was gorgeous, sunny but not too hot and we were accompanied by the neighbours two dogs, Bianco and Spotty.
The walk took us through vineyards and olive groves and we ended up at a church where we met Riccardo who had bought a couple of baskets full of food and wine. We then went to a shady spot under a cedar tree that overlooked the valley to eat.
Once we'd finished eating Shilpa gave a couple of us a lift back to the appartment while the others elected to retrace their steps and make their own way home.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
The weather was gorgeous, sunny but not too hot and we were accompanied by the neighbours two dogs, Bianco and Spotty.
The walk took us through vineyards and olive groves and we ended up at a church where we met Riccardo who had bought a couple of baskets full of food and wine. We then went to a shady spot under a cedar tree that overlooked the valley to eat.
Once we'd finished eating Shilpa gave a couple of us a lift back to the appartment while the others elected to retrace their steps and make their own way home.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
An evening out
This evening we all went out to La Spinosa, an organic farm and vineyard where we were to your the winery and then have a meal in their restaurant.
I had elected to drive and wed made our way around narrow hairpins as we climbed to the top of the hill surrounding the valley where the farm was.
On the way we stopped at a pottery where we were shown around by the owner, despite the fact that we arrived afte it had shut, and we stopped again at a chapel and again to marvel at the view across the valley.
We eventually arrived at the farm and were shown around the winery - there were some gorgeous little kittens there - and we then went onto the restaurant where we had a very nice meal starting with pear and pecorino with honey, followed by gnocci with pesto and tomato. Then we had vegetable flan with courgette souffle and finished with a fine cheesecake.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
I had elected to drive and wed made our way around narrow hairpins as we climbed to the top of the hill surrounding the valley where the farm was.
On the way we stopped at a pottery where we were shown around by the owner, despite the fact that we arrived afte it had shut, and we stopped again at a chapel and again to marvel at the view across the valley.
We eventually arrived at the farm and were shown around the winery - there were some gorgeous little kittens there - and we then went onto the restaurant where we had a very nice meal starting with pear and pecorino with honey, followed by gnocci with pesto and tomato. Then we had vegetable flan with courgette souffle and finished with a fine cheesecake.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
Stirring custard the wrong way...
This morning we met Manuela who, along with Shilpa, took us through making our lunch today. We made a fabulous tomato and bread soup and a couple of sformati which are a sort of souffle like flan.
For dessert we made a custard tart which was a bit runny. This we blamed on Jane's stirring it in more than one direction when she was told not to.
It was all very tasty and the weather is lovely today, so we were able to eat it, once again, on the terrace.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
For dessert we made a custard tart which was a bit runny. This we blamed on Jane's stirring it in more than one direction when she was told not to.
It was all very tasty and the weather is lovely today, so we were able to eat it, once again, on the terrace.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
An unexpected departure
This evening we all went to Lindsay, Jane and Jamie's for an evening meal consisting of some salads made from stuff we'd bought at the shops earlier. I made an endive, pear and gorgonzola salad and there was also a nicoise type salad and some antipasto along with some nice foccaccia bread.
We had a very nice evening, however at the end Mark and Jan said that they would be leaving us tomorrow and going back to Manchester. They wouldn't elaborate any further, and it was all a bit sudden and strange.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
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We had a very nice evening, however at the end Mark and Jan said that they would be leaving us tomorrow and going back to Manchester. They wouldn't elaborate any further, and it was all a bit sudden and strange.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
Florence by Battleaxe!
We all met up at around 8.15 to drive to Certaldo station to then catch the train to Florence.
We met a New Zealand couple on the train, the husband of which turned out to be the second cousin of the boss of one of the girls in the group!
Once we reached Florence we went to meet our tour guide who turned out to be a real old fashioned matron kind of woman - imagine the two fat ladies rolled into one...
She was quite a character, forever telling us to keep up, speaking very loudly in a posh voice while telling other groups to be quiet and moaning at us for visiting the Uffitzi gallery on a Tuesday, as it was its busiest day! However, she did know her stuff and some of the tour was very interesting even if a little politically incorrect.
One of the girls managed to 'escape' halfway through the tour, but the rest of us soldiered on. Eventually the guide left and rather than see the rest of the gallery we headed straight for a restaurant where I had a ribbolata (Tuscan vegetable soup) and pasta with porcini for lunch. This was followed by a fabulous gelato before heading back to the train station via Avis car rental so I could be added as a driver to the hire car.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
We met a New Zealand couple on the train, the husband of which turned out to be the second cousin of the boss of one of the girls in the group!
Once we reached Florence we went to meet our tour guide who turned out to be a real old fashioned matron kind of woman - imagine the two fat ladies rolled into one...
She was quite a character, forever telling us to keep up, speaking very loudly in a posh voice while telling other groups to be quiet and moaning at us for visiting the Uffitzi gallery on a Tuesday, as it was its busiest day! However, she did know her stuff and some of the tour was very interesting even if a little politically incorrect.
One of the girls managed to 'escape' halfway through the tour, but the rest of us soldiered on. Eventually the guide left and rather than see the rest of the gallery we headed straight for a restaurant where I had a ribbolata (Tuscan vegetable soup) and pasta with porcini for lunch. This was followed by a fabulous gelato before heading back to the train station via Avis car rental so I could be added as a driver to the hire car.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Stormy San Gimingnano
We drove to San Gimingnano all the while looking at the ever darkening sky. Several times it rained on route but had stopped by the time we parked the car. However by the time we had walked up to the main piazza of the town, it had begun to rain.
We wandered around a few shops but soon decided that the awful weather wasn't for us and went back to the car. During the journey back we decided to eat in and stopped at the local supermarket to by some ingredients. I volunteered to make melanzana parmigiana for everyone. On discovering that we couldn't get the oven to work, Jamie went to find the landlord, who offered is his oven.
So, we made the dish and took it over to his place and returned to drink and chat while the dish cooked.
About forty minutes later, Jamie and my self armed with a brolly web downstairs to make the trip to retrieve the dish only to discover Tomas coming up the stairs with the cooked parmigiana saving us from getting soaked.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the food and after an enjoyable evening, during a break in the storm I made my way back to my apartment.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
We wandered around a few shops but soon decided that the awful weather wasn't for us and went back to the car. During the journey back we decided to eat in and stopped at the local supermarket to by some ingredients. I volunteered to make melanzana parmigiana for everyone. On discovering that we couldn't get the oven to work, Jamie went to find the landlord, who offered is his oven.
So, we made the dish and took it over to his place and returned to drink and chat while the dish cooked.
About forty minutes later, Jamie and my self armed with a brolly web downstairs to make the trip to retrieve the dish only to discover Tomas coming up the stairs with the cooked parmigiana saving us from getting soaked.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the food and after an enjoyable evening, during a break in the storm I made my way back to my apartment.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
Tuscan Lunch
The sky this morning looked ominous, but luckily the rain held off until we had made it to Shilpa's ready for today's cookery session.
Today we made a selection of crostini with different toppings - roasted pepper and goats cheese, melanzana and mint and tomato with olive oil and basil. We also did cannelini beans with tomato sauce, panzanella salad, chard and peccorino flan and panna cotta. Unfortunately the panna cotta did not set properly but it tasted wonderful, as did everything else.
This evening we are off to San Gimingnano for some sightseeing and a meal. Luckily, for the moment at least, the rain has stopped.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
Today we made a selection of crostini with different toppings - roasted pepper and goats cheese, melanzana and mint and tomato with olive oil and basil. We also did cannelini beans with tomato sauce, panzanella salad, chard and peccorino flan and panna cotta. Unfortunately the panna cotta did not set properly but it tasted wonderful, as did everything else.
This evening we are off to San Gimingnano for some sightseeing and a meal. Luckily, for the moment at least, the rain has stopped.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Pasta
Today was the first of our lessons and was taken jointly by Shilpa and a friend of hers called Kiera who runs a restaurant in Barcelona.
We made tagliatelle with two sauces, one with fresh tomatoes and basil and one with courgettes and goats cheese. Both were good, but I especially enjoyed the courgette one. We also made a really good orange and fennel salad and a tiramisu. Once again we sat and ate on the patio overlooking the valley accompanied by nice organic wine, good conversation and the odd firefly or two.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
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We made tagliatelle with two sauces, one with fresh tomatoes and basil and one with courgettes and goats cheese. Both were good, but I especially enjoyed the courgette one. We also made a really good orange and fennel salad and a tiramisu. Once again we sat and ate on the patio overlooking the valley accompanied by nice organic wine, good conversation and the odd firefly or two.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
So much for the Beeb
The BBC weather forecast promised that it would be sunny all this week, but it just goes to show that even Auntie can get it wrong.
The morning started fine and I breakfasted on melon followed by bread and honey before leaving to meet the others. On the way there were ominous rumbles of thunder in the distance. By the time we were ready to leave for our destination - an organic farm called La Ginestra - the sky was beginning to darken.
However, the rain held off for the duration of our tour of the farm. One of La Ginestra's main products is honey and we had a tour of their production sheds, and had a chance to taste the raw (as it were) honey before it was removed from the cones and filtered. It was acacia honey and had a very delicate flavour.
La Ginestra also rears pigs and we got to see them rooting around their enclosures - some in fields, others in woodland. The pigs are related to the wild boar and there were a few piglets running around which one of the owner's dogs was paying rather too much interest in and had to be held back.
The farm also produces spelt, chickpeas and olive oil amongst other things.
From there we went to the restaurant that is run by the farm, and on the way the weather turned. Hailstones battered the car and you could barely hear yourself talk!
We arrived in the restaurant under brolly cover and went to enjoy some wine and nibbles before the meal.
The meal started with bruchetta that had the sweetest tomatoes (I don't usually eat tomatoes) and was then followed by a potato and herb cannelloni. The cannelloni was really light.
We then had roasted vegetables and salad that was then followed by fennel in a saffron sauce (yum). Finally we had a chocolate cake and cream.
After finishing the meal, I bought some honey and olive oil to bring home and we all went back to base to prepare for this afternoon's pasta making.
On the way we decided to take the dirt track back to the apartments and very quickly got stuck as the car started sliding sideways through the mud and off the track. We all got out and pushed and, with the help of some passing Belgians, we finally got the car back on the road and made our way back to base, with enough time for a short rest before the pasta making starts.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
The morning started fine and I breakfasted on melon followed by bread and honey before leaving to meet the others. On the way there were ominous rumbles of thunder in the distance. By the time we were ready to leave for our destination - an organic farm called La Ginestra - the sky was beginning to darken.
However, the rain held off for the duration of our tour of the farm. One of La Ginestra's main products is honey and we had a tour of their production sheds, and had a chance to taste the raw (as it were) honey before it was removed from the cones and filtered. It was acacia honey and had a very delicate flavour.
La Ginestra also rears pigs and we got to see them rooting around their enclosures - some in fields, others in woodland. The pigs are related to the wild boar and there were a few piglets running around which one of the owner's dogs was paying rather too much interest in and had to be held back.
The farm also produces spelt, chickpeas and olive oil amongst other things.
From there we went to the restaurant that is run by the farm, and on the way the weather turned. Hailstones battered the car and you could barely hear yourself talk!
We arrived in the restaurant under brolly cover and went to enjoy some wine and nibbles before the meal.
The meal started with bruchetta that had the sweetest tomatoes (I don't usually eat tomatoes) and was then followed by a potato and herb cannelloni. The cannelloni was really light.
We then had roasted vegetables and salad that was then followed by fennel in a saffron sauce (yum). Finally we had a chocolate cake and cream.
After finishing the meal, I bought some honey and olive oil to bring home and we all went back to base to prepare for this afternoon's pasta making.
On the way we decided to take the dirt track back to the apartments and very quickly got stuck as the car started sliding sideways through the mud and off the track. We all got out and pushed and, with the help of some passing Belgians, we finally got the car back on the road and made our way back to base, with enough time for a short rest before the pasta making starts.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
I'm here!
The flight from Paris to Florence was pretty much on time and my case was one of the first to come out, which makes a change.
Customs was non-existant and I was out of the airport fairly quickly. I had a look around for the Avis car hire place and waited in line with about half a dozen people so that I could try and add my name to the drivers list of the one that had been hired by one of the other people on the course. I noticed that the bus that I had to catch to the railway station was waiting so I decided to get onto that. After a very bumpy ride through Florence I arrived at the train station, bought my ticket and found the train that stopped at Certalfo, where I was to be picked up and taken to the place where the course is taking place.
After about 10 minutes some of the others turned up in the car to pick me up and we then popped to the local supermarket to pick up some stuff for brekky. We then went back to the place that I am staying which is an apartment attached to a house run by a woman called Paula. The apartment is very naiv and quite rustic but is clean and comfortable.
After settling in, I met with the others on the course and we wandered down to La Selva where Shilpa and Riccardo live and the course is to be run. The other people on the course are really nice and we had a nice evening eating and drinking. I even got the chance to put a pizza into the wood fired oven using one of those big metal 'spatula' things. We feasted on foccaccia, pizza, roasted veg, beans and potatoes and finished off with fruit salad, all of which was lovely. Then we walked back to our various apartments marvellung at the fireflies as they lit up the hedges and nearby fields.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
Customs was non-existant and I was out of the airport fairly quickly. I had a look around for the Avis car hire place and waited in line with about half a dozen people so that I could try and add my name to the drivers list of the one that had been hired by one of the other people on the course. I noticed that the bus that I had to catch to the railway station was waiting so I decided to get onto that. After a very bumpy ride through Florence I arrived at the train station, bought my ticket and found the train that stopped at Certalfo, where I was to be picked up and taken to the place where the course is taking place.
After about 10 minutes some of the others turned up in the car to pick me up and we then popped to the local supermarket to pick up some stuff for brekky. We then went back to the place that I am staying which is an apartment attached to a house run by a woman called Paula. The apartment is very naiv and quite rustic but is clean and comfortable.
After settling in, I met with the others on the course and we wandered down to La Selva where Shilpa and Riccardo live and the course is to be run. The other people on the course are really nice and we had a nice evening eating and drinking. I even got the chance to put a pizza into the wood fired oven using one of those big metal 'spatula' things. We feasted on foccaccia, pizza, roasted veg, beans and potatoes and finished off with fruit salad, all of which was lovely. Then we walked back to our various apartments marvellung at the fireflies as they lit up the hedges and nearby fields.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
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Bonjour
I'm now at Charles De Gaulle airport waiting for my connection to Florence.
I'm very tired as neither of us slept that well last night due mainly to a load of people that spent the whole night chatting in the corridor and knocking on each others doors.
Alicea dropped me at a very busy Heathrow airport and I grabbed some brekky before checking in. The flight to Paris was good and took less time than my brekky took to get from Wetherspoons kitchen to my table!
More news when I get to Italy.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
I'm very tired as neither of us slept that well last night due mainly to a load of people that spent the whole night chatting in the corridor and knocking on each others doors.
Alicea dropped me at a very busy Heathrow airport and I grabbed some brekky before checking in. The flight to Paris was good and took less time than my brekky took to get from Wetherspoons kitchen to my table!
More news when I get to Italy.
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Never Again...
Everyone always says that about moving don't they? So why should we be any different?
Anyway, the day started okay with the removal men turning up on time although we then realised that we'd packed the kettle, cups etc so had no way to offer any refreshments on this, particularly hot, day. So, a trip to the local caffe nero was in order to get a selection of drinks.
Around 10.00 we heard that the sale had completed. The removal men left at about 11.00 to take our stuff into storage until next week when we move in. We handed the keys to the new owner who had just arrived and left to take the final stuff to the tip.
On the way I had a phonecall to say that the new owners had been in touch to ask where the washing machine, dishwasher etc were. This was news to us as we hadn't been told that they wanted any of it and we'd disposed of everything!
So we ended up at our solicitors trying to sort out what had happened. There had obviously been a break down in communications somewhere on the line. Through various phonecalls, we agreed to supply the items we still have and the money that our buyers had paid the solicitors would be returned, although the solicitors would pay the balance so we would not be out of pocket due to an incident that was not our fault.
From the solicitors we then went to Bexleyheath to sort out the mortgage on the flat we've bought. This, aside from a few computer glitches, went okay and we then went to drop my car off at a work collegue's for him to look after it while I'm away.
Dinner at Carliccio's (of course) and then to a hotel near the airport ready for my flight tomorrow.
Phew, what a day...
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
Anyway, the day started okay with the removal men turning up on time although we then realised that we'd packed the kettle, cups etc so had no way to offer any refreshments on this, particularly hot, day. So, a trip to the local caffe nero was in order to get a selection of drinks.
Around 10.00 we heard that the sale had completed. The removal men left at about 11.00 to take our stuff into storage until next week when we move in. We handed the keys to the new owner who had just arrived and left to take the final stuff to the tip.
On the way I had a phonecall to say that the new owners had been in touch to ask where the washing machine, dishwasher etc were. This was news to us as we hadn't been told that they wanted any of it and we'd disposed of everything!
So we ended up at our solicitors trying to sort out what had happened. There had obviously been a break down in communications somewhere on the line. Through various phonecalls, we agreed to supply the items we still have and the money that our buyers had paid the solicitors would be returned, although the solicitors would pay the balance so we would not be out of pocket due to an incident that was not our fault.
From the solicitors we then went to Bexleyheath to sort out the mortgage on the flat we've bought. This, aside from a few computer glitches, went okay and we then went to drop my car off at a work collegue's for him to look after it while I'm away.
Dinner at Carliccio's (of course) and then to a hotel near the airport ready for my flight tomorrow.
Phew, what a day...
Regards,
Gary Nicklin
Please excuse the short message - it was sent from a Blackberry handheld.
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